TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE . . . . . . . . . i
APPROVAL . . . . . . . . – ii
CERTIFICATION . . . . . . . . iii
DEDICATION . . . . . . . . iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT . . . . . . . v
TABLE OF CONTENTS . . . . . . . vi
LIST OF TABLES . . . . . . . . x
LIST OF APPENDICES . . . . . . . xii
ABSTRACT . . . . . . . . . xiii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study . . . . . . 1
Statement of the Problem . . . . . . . . 5
Purpose of the Study . . . . . . . . . 6
Objective of Study . . . . . . . . . 5
Research Questions . . . . . . . . . 7
Research Hypotheses . . . . . . . . . 7
Significance of the Study . . . . . . . . 8
Scope of the Study . . . . . . . . . 8
Operational Definition of Terms . . . . . . . 8
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Concept of mental health . . . . . . . . 10
Characteristics of Positive Mental Health. . . . . . . 11
The School and Mental Health of Children . . . . . 13
Role of Teachers in Development of positive mental
health in Children . . . . . . . . 15
The home mental development of children . . . . . . 17
The society and mental development in children . . . . . 20
Parenting Pattern and their Effect on Mental Health
Development in Children . . . . . . . . 21
Authoritarian (Autocratic) Parenting . . . . . . . 22
Authoritative (Democratic) Parenting . . . . . . 22
Permissive Parenting . . . . . . . . . 23
Criteria for Guiding against Negative Mental
Behavior in Children . . . . . . . . . 24
Factors that can Enhance Good Mental Health
Behaviours in Children . . . . . . . . 25
Theoretical Framework . . . . . . . . 26 Summary of Literature. . . . . . . . . 29
Empirical Studies . . . . . . . . . 30
Summary and analysis of Empirical Studies . . . . . . 32
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
Design . . . . . . . . . . 33
Area of the study . . . . . . . . . 33
Population for Study . . . . . . . . . 34
Sample . . . . . . . . . . 34
Sampling Procedure . . . . . . . . . . 35
Instrument for Data Collection . . . . . . . 36
Validity of the Instrument . . . . . . . . 37
Reliability of the Instrument . . . . . . . . 37
Ethical Clearance . . . . . . . . . 37
Procedure for Data Collection . . . . . . . 38
Method of Data Analysis . . . . . . . . 38
CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION OF RESULTS 40
Demographic Characteristics of Respondents . . . . . 41
Test of Significance . . . . . . . . . 46
Summary of Findings . . . . . . . . . 56
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
Discussion of Major Findings . . . . . . . 59
Implication of the Findings . . . . . . . . 67
Peculiarity and limitation of the Study . . . . . . 68
Summary . . . . . . . . . 68
Conclusion . . . . . . . . 69
Recommendations . . . . . . . . 70
Suggestions for Further Research . . . . . . . 71
REFERENCES . . . . . . . . 73
APPENDIX . . . . . . . . . 77
LIST OF TABLES
Table Title Page
1: Demographic Characteristics of Respondents . . . . . . . 41
2: Adjusted mean scores and standard deviations for mental health behaviour . . . . 42
3: The 19 highest scored mental health behaviour items . . . . . . 43
4: The 19 Lowest scored mental health behaviour items . . . . . . 44
5: Adjusted mean scores and standard deviations of mental health behaviour of male and female children . . . . . 47
6: Multiple t-test comparison of adjusted mean scores for metal health behaviour of male and female children for each sub-scale . . . 47
7: t-test comparison of mean scores for mental health behaviour of males and
female children for all variables . . . . 48
8: Adjusted mean scores and standard deviations for mental health behaviour of children of Mothers with formal education
and those with no formal education . . . . 50
9: Multiple t-test comparison of adjusted mean scores for mental health behaviour of
children of Mothers who had and those who hadn’t formal education . . . . . . 51
10 : t-test comparison of mean scores for mental health behaviour of children of Mothers who had and those who hadn’t
Formal education . . . . . . 52
11: Adjusted means and standard deviations for mental health behaviour of rural and
urban children . . . . . . 54
12: Multiple t-test comparison of adjusted sub-scale mean scores for mental health
behaviour of rural and urban children . . . 55
13 t-test comparison of mean scores for mental
health behaviour of rural and urban children . . . 55
LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix Title Page
1: List of Primary Schools in Enugu East Local Government Area. . 77
2: Calculation of Sample Size . . . . . 80
3: Mental Health Assessment Questionnaire . . . . 81
4: Letter of Introduction . . . . 89
5: Approval from Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board . 90
6: Mean and Standard Deviations of the 57 items of the MHAQ. . 91
7: Mean and Standard Deviation of the 57 items according to Gender . 95
8: Mean and Standard Deviation of the 57 items according to
Mother’s Education Level . . . . 97
9: Mean and Standard Deviation of the 57 items according to Location of Schools . . . . . 99
10: Map of Enugu State Showing location of LGAs . . . 101
ABSTRACT
The purpose of the study was to assess mental health status of primary school children in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study while the simple random sampling method was used to select the sample size of 308 pupils. A self reporting Mental Health Assessment Questionnaire (MHAQ) was used to collect information on mental health status of the children. The face validity of the instrument was done by project supervisor and two Professors in psychology. The factor analysis was done using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 17.0. The reliability index was established using a split half method. The scores obtained were correlated using Pearson Product Moment Correlation to obtain a coefficient of 0.85 at 0.05 level of significance. The researcher with the help of four research assistants administered the questionnaire to the children individually in an interview over a period of four weeks and retrieved the questionnaire on the spot. Data collected were analyzed. Data analysis for objective one was done item by item yielding mean and standard deviation for each item and for each subscale. T-test analysis was also employed to test for the three hypothesis set for the study. Findings showed that the children involved in the study had positive mental health behaviour as over 84.21% of the measuring scale items attracted responses that indicated positive mental behavior. It was also discovered that there is no significant difference in the mental health status of boys and girls (t = 0.105, NS). No significant difference in the mental health status of children whose mothers had formal education and those whose mothers hadn’t formal education (t = 0.194, NS). The result also showed no significant difference in mental health status of the children from rural and urban schools (t = 0.43, NS). Based on the findings, the following recommendations were made. That the Primary School Management Board (PSMB) should, through their office adopt and plan a mental health programme for primary school children in both urban and rural areas., to sustain and enhance the positive mental health behaviours that are in primary school children. Possibly, efforts should be made to include such programmes and subjects into the syllabus of the schools in Enugu East Education Zone. Adequate health education of the general public on how to treat the children to foster development of positive mental health behavior should be carried out in earnest.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Mental health behaviour is about how people think, feel, act and react to issues. People with good mental health tend to have positive attitude, feel good about themselves and others, act responsively in relationships, have positive attitude towards things and react reasonably to issues. Good mental health enables every one including children to develop resilience to cope with pain, disappointments and sadness, while poor mental health affects children’s ability to concentrate at school, home and even makes it more difficult for them to learn, communicate and get along with others (Tidyman 2005).
It is very easy to overlook the value of mental health in children until problems surface. Yet from early childhood until death, mental health is the spring board of thinking and communication skills, learning, emotional growth and self esteem. Success in school, at work, in parenting and in relationships all rest on a foundation of good mental health. (Tidyman 2005).
Contrary to popular belief, young children can and do experience serious emotional problems that are comparable in severity to what we observe in older children and adults and can have lasting effects (Aggarwal 2003). And in most cases the foundations of many mental health problems that endure throughout adulthood are established early in life due to significant adversity in early life that can change the architecture of the developing brain and increase the likelihood of significant mental health problems that may emerge either early or years later. Also life circumstances associated with family stress such as persistent poverty, threatening neighborhoods and very poor child care conditions raise the risk of serious mental health problems and undermine healthy functioning in early years. Early childhood adversity of this kind also increases the risk of adult health and mental health problems because of its enduring effects on the body and brain development.
Aggarwal (2003) identified common characteristics of a mentally healthy person as including having adaptable and resilient mind, conscious control of life, cheerful and optimistic outlook, well regulated instincts and habits, emotional balance, insight into one’s own conduct, enthusiasm and reasonable freedom, capacity to think independently, calm and good temperament, ability to care for self and others, socially adaptable, realistic imagination and definite philosophy of life. Also Layman (2002) also delineated characteristics of a mentally healthy person to include having peace of mind, relative freedom from tension and anxiety, security, a sense of self worth and ability to deal constructively with reality, ability to enjoy human contacts, capacity for mutual satisfaction in social relationships, integration around socially useful values, flexibility and appropriate balance between self-sufficiency, willingness to accept help from others, capacity to give and receive affection and ability to direct hostile feelings into creative and constructive channels. Furthermore, the individual has the ability to accept frustrations for future gain, spontaneity and capacity to enjoy life.
Good mental health is important to everyone across life span. In children, if mental health is ignored, problem may occur and this can interfere with their learning, development, relationships and physical health (National Association of School Psychology 2006). To attain optimum mental health, it is important that one observes good mental attitudes right from childhood. Just as observing good personal hygiene boosts good health, practice of good mental behaviour is necessary for good health.
Nnaka (1997) noted that good mental health is important for any child to succeed in school; therefore they deserve to learn all the tasks and behaviour that will allow them to develop friendship, loving alliance and positive mental health status.
Mental health is not simply the absence of mental illness, but having the skills necessary to cope with life’s challenges (NASP 2006). (WHO 2001) also defined mental health as a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, cope with normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully and is able to make meaningful contributions to his or her community.